Factors affecting defoliation of eastern hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis) by the pale-winged gray moth (Iridopsis ephyraria)

The main objective of this thesis was to study the possible factors that could explain the feeding preference of the pale-winged gray moth (PWG) (Iridopsis ephyraria) for the mid-lower crown of eastern hemlocks in south-west Nova Scotia. I first described egg and larval distribution between crown locations of mature hemlocks. I then focused on testing two hypotheses that could explain the pale-winged gray feeding preference for the foliage located in the mid-lower crown: (1) hygrothermal and (2) foliage quality hypotheses.;My research shows that eggs and larvae were principally located in the mid-lower crown. This larval preference could partly explain the greatest defoliation in the mid-lower crown of mature hemlocks. Experimental and observational data revealed that both hygrothermal stress and foliage quality varied between crown locations and thus affected the PWG feeding preference. The disadvantages of heat and water stress in the upper crown, however, outweighed the benefits to feed on higher foliage quality which explains the PWG feeding preference for foliage in the mid-lower crown. Additional data on foliage age showed that larvae prefer to feed on current-year foliage presumably because this age-class had higher water and nitrogen content. This feeding preference may have helped larvae to survive in the upper crown where temperatures are warmer.;This research adds to the literature on plant-insect interactions, allows a better understanding of the pale-winged gray moth natural history but mostly, informs us on the factors that affect PWG survival.